Cardinal Shrimp
PH Range: 7.4 - 8.4
Temperature Range: 78F-85F
Hardness Range: 6-8 dKH
Life Span: 2-3 Years
Size: ½-1 inch
Diet: Omnivore
Habitat: Fully Aquatic
Temperature Range: 78F-85F
Hardness Range: 6-8 dKH
Life Span: 2-3 Years
Size: ½-1 inch
Diet: Omnivore
Habitat: Fully Aquatic
Cardinal Shrimp
Caridina sp. "Cardinal"
Overview
New to the shrimp hobby, the Cardinal Shrimp is fast becoming one of the most sought after shrimp. It is magnificent in person with either a dark rose red coloration or a lighter red coloration with white dots running along the side of the shrimp. Photos do not do justice, you must see this species in person. It is not a beginner's species and only experienced hobbyists should attempt to keep this species.
Background
The Cardinal Shrimp is from Sulawesi, Indonesia. Sulawesi is one of the islands encompassing the country of Indonesia. The Cardinal Shrimp is caught in one of several lakes in Sulawesi. I highly suggest that you read the article Sulawesi Expedition for detailed information on Sulawesi as well as more information on is habitat. There are also underwater photos of the lake system.
Water Parameters
As with all Sulawesi Shrimp it is highly recommended that you keep the Cardinal Shrimp in a temperature of at least 78F. Anything lower can kill this species. It is also recommended that you keep this species in a tank with hard water and a ph of no less than 7.0.
I am currently keeping the Cardinal Shrimp in the same tank with a few other species from Sulawesi. The tank consists of ADA Amazonia substrate, a temperature of 84F and a pH of 7.0. Some have stated that the low ph of 7.0 due to the ADA Amazonia is not good for this species. Right now I disagree. All of the Sulawesi Shrimp that I currently house are doing very well in this setup and so far even the babies are doing very well. The babies are constantly picking away for food which is of course a good sign.
A lot of hobbyists attempt to replicate the environment of the Cardinal Shrimp by using rocks for aesthetics and algae surfaces. If you read the article Sulawesi Expedition you will notice that the Cardinal Shrimp lives in the rocks and picks at them for food. There are also those who use coral chips or similar to raise the water hardness. Sand is also a common choice to use in the aquarium.
Breeding
Breeding is done in complete freshwater, not salt or brackish water is required whatsoever. There is no larval stage. The adult females carry the eggs until they hatch, producing miniature shrimp. There have been hobbyists that have had pregnant Cardinal Shrimp in captivity and some have had the eggs hatch successfully as well. Several breeders have had good success breeding the Cardinal Shrimp and it is apparently not as difficult as some may think.
The females carry roughly 10-15 eggs. It takes approximately 20-30 days for the eggs to hatch. The babies immediately show the same color as the adults. The growth rate of the babies is fast as well. If the tank is in good shape then the babies will grow almost as fast as some of the Neocaridina Shrimp. For more information on the reproduction cycle of freshwater aquarium shrimp please read the article Shrimp Reproduction.
I was lucky to receive some pregnant Cardinal Shrimp from overseas. The pregnant ones from the wild hatched their eggs and now I have baby Cardinals all over the place. They are doing very well and I hope to have them grow to adulthood and reproduce in pure captivity. I will update as time progresses.
Appearance
The Cardinal Shrimp can have different shades of red, from dark to light red. The darkness of the red coloration is variable and is not an indicator of health, sex, or anything else. The red coloration is also contrasted by white dots throughout the body. Some of the white dots appear to have a blue outline to them. One of the coolest features of the Cardinal Shrimp is its front white legs. The white legs move rapidly when the shrimp is feeding and also sets this species apart from the other Sulawesi Shrimp. The photo below show a more zoomed in look at their white legs. The video below also shows the white legs in motion.
Behavior
The Cardinal Shrimp is not a shy species at all. It will constantly forage on the bottom and seems to prefer scraping rocks. The majority of the Cardinal Shrimp I have observed seem spend almost all of their time on the algae covered rocks or sides of the glass picking away. It is not an agressive species whatsoever and seem to enjoy other species in the same tank. Some breeders have also reported that the Cardinal Shrimp seem to be more active when Sulawesi Snails are introduced to the tank. Perhaps this makes them feel more at home with the snails found in their wild environment. They will also pick at the snails' shell.
Feeding
I feed all of the Sulawesi Shrimp, including the Cardinal Shrimp, the same as I feed all of the other shrimp I keep. I feed mostly Shirakura food and The occasional algae water or other invert food. This species will eat at all times of the day but I believe that they prefer to eat at night when they feel safe. I have noticed that when the lights are off they will come out and eat better than when the lights are on.
Feeding is best done once a day. Only feed an amount of food that the shrimp can finish within 2-3 hours maximum. It is not good to feed in excess and have food sitting for too long. Overfeeding is a known cause of death and can also cause water quality issues. Remember that shrimp are scavengers in the wild. They will eat whatever they find and are not used to a constant food source 24/7. Not feeding for one or two days is fine and will not harm this species at all. Sometimes I will not feed for a couple of days in order to let the shrimp cleanse their systems and keep the water clean at the same time.
Sexing
Sexing of the Cardinal Shrimp is difficult and so far no one has fully figured out how to do so with the naked eye. The females have a saddle showing eggs underneath the carapace but the only way to actually see the saddle is with an infrared light. The outside shell of the Cardinal Shrimp is so dark that you cannot possibly see the saddle without special equipment. As far as using the principle of the other shrimps species, meaning females are larger and have a curved underbelly, does not apply to the Cardinal Shrimp unfortunately. Males and females seem to look exactly the same.
Info Source www.planetinverts.com
Caridina sp. "Cardinal"
Overview
New to the shrimp hobby, the Cardinal Shrimp is fast becoming one of the most sought after shrimp. It is magnificent in person with either a dark rose red coloration or a lighter red coloration with white dots running along the side of the shrimp. Photos do not do justice, you must see this species in person. It is not a beginner's species and only experienced hobbyists should attempt to keep this species.
Background
The Cardinal Shrimp is from Sulawesi, Indonesia. Sulawesi is one of the islands encompassing the country of Indonesia. The Cardinal Shrimp is caught in one of several lakes in Sulawesi. I highly suggest that you read the article Sulawesi Expedition for detailed information on Sulawesi as well as more information on is habitat. There are also underwater photos of the lake system.
Water Parameters
As with all Sulawesi Shrimp it is highly recommended that you keep the Cardinal Shrimp in a temperature of at least 78F. Anything lower can kill this species. It is also recommended that you keep this species in a tank with hard water and a ph of no less than 7.0.
I am currently keeping the Cardinal Shrimp in the same tank with a few other species from Sulawesi. The tank consists of ADA Amazonia substrate, a temperature of 84F and a pH of 7.0. Some have stated that the low ph of 7.0 due to the ADA Amazonia is not good for this species. Right now I disagree. All of the Sulawesi Shrimp that I currently house are doing very well in this setup and so far even the babies are doing very well. The babies are constantly picking away for food which is of course a good sign.
A lot of hobbyists attempt to replicate the environment of the Cardinal Shrimp by using rocks for aesthetics and algae surfaces. If you read the article Sulawesi Expedition you will notice that the Cardinal Shrimp lives in the rocks and picks at them for food. There are also those who use coral chips or similar to raise the water hardness. Sand is also a common choice to use in the aquarium.
Breeding
Breeding is done in complete freshwater, not salt or brackish water is required whatsoever. There is no larval stage. The adult females carry the eggs until they hatch, producing miniature shrimp. There have been hobbyists that have had pregnant Cardinal Shrimp in captivity and some have had the eggs hatch successfully as well. Several breeders have had good success breeding the Cardinal Shrimp and it is apparently not as difficult as some may think.
The females carry roughly 10-15 eggs. It takes approximately 20-30 days for the eggs to hatch. The babies immediately show the same color as the adults. The growth rate of the babies is fast as well. If the tank is in good shape then the babies will grow almost as fast as some of the Neocaridina Shrimp. For more information on the reproduction cycle of freshwater aquarium shrimp please read the article Shrimp Reproduction.
I was lucky to receive some pregnant Cardinal Shrimp from overseas. The pregnant ones from the wild hatched their eggs and now I have baby Cardinals all over the place. They are doing very well and I hope to have them grow to adulthood and reproduce in pure captivity. I will update as time progresses.
Appearance
The Cardinal Shrimp can have different shades of red, from dark to light red. The darkness of the red coloration is variable and is not an indicator of health, sex, or anything else. The red coloration is also contrasted by white dots throughout the body. Some of the white dots appear to have a blue outline to them. One of the coolest features of the Cardinal Shrimp is its front white legs. The white legs move rapidly when the shrimp is feeding and also sets this species apart from the other Sulawesi Shrimp. The photo below show a more zoomed in look at their white legs. The video below also shows the white legs in motion.
Behavior
The Cardinal Shrimp is not a shy species at all. It will constantly forage on the bottom and seems to prefer scraping rocks. The majority of the Cardinal Shrimp I have observed seem spend almost all of their time on the algae covered rocks or sides of the glass picking away. It is not an agressive species whatsoever and seem to enjoy other species in the same tank. Some breeders have also reported that the Cardinal Shrimp seem to be more active when Sulawesi Snails are introduced to the tank. Perhaps this makes them feel more at home with the snails found in their wild environment. They will also pick at the snails' shell.
Feeding
I feed all of the Sulawesi Shrimp, including the Cardinal Shrimp, the same as I feed all of the other shrimp I keep. I feed mostly Shirakura food and The occasional algae water or other invert food. This species will eat at all times of the day but I believe that they prefer to eat at night when they feel safe. I have noticed that when the lights are off they will come out and eat better than when the lights are on.
Feeding is best done once a day. Only feed an amount of food that the shrimp can finish within 2-3 hours maximum. It is not good to feed in excess and have food sitting for too long. Overfeeding is a known cause of death and can also cause water quality issues. Remember that shrimp are scavengers in the wild. They will eat whatever they find and are not used to a constant food source 24/7. Not feeding for one or two days is fine and will not harm this species at all. Sometimes I will not feed for a couple of days in order to let the shrimp cleanse their systems and keep the water clean at the same time.
Sexing
Sexing of the Cardinal Shrimp is difficult and so far no one has fully figured out how to do so with the naked eye. The females have a saddle showing eggs underneath the carapace but the only way to actually see the saddle is with an infrared light. The outside shell of the Cardinal Shrimp is so dark that you cannot possibly see the saddle without special equipment. As far as using the principle of the other shrimps species, meaning females are larger and have a curved underbelly, does not apply to the Cardinal Shrimp unfortunately. Males and females seem to look exactly the same.
Info Source www.planetinverts.com